This study attempted to assess family empowerment with participants in Access Vermont, a multilevel crisis intervention project for children with emotional disturbances and their families. The study used the Family Empowerment Scale, a scale based on two dimensions of empowerment level (comprised of family, service system, and community/political)…

The Michigan School Readiness Program (MSRP) is the state's early childhood education program for 4-year-olds at risk of school failure. This report details previous findings from the longitudinal study of two cohorts of MSRP children from kindergarten through the primary grades, current findings from the 1998-99 school year, program quality and…

The percentage of adults with high school diplomas is higher today than 10 years ago in every Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) state, but most SREB states will not reach the goal of 90 percent of all adults with high school diplomas or equivalent by 2000. The change is the result of state and local efforts to identify and attract more…

First-year evaluation results of Iowa's Basic Skills Certification pilot program were reported for the four community colleges participating: Northeast Iowa, Des Moines Area, Western Iowa Tech, and Iowa Western. The pilot sites represented a variety of adult basic education instructional environments that included a workforce development center,…

Discusses new state child care provisions to be implemented as part of the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training Program (JOBS Program) for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) parents under the welfare reform bill, the Family Support Act. (BB)

The program of the Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology at Alfred University (New York) is described, focusing on the center's role in technology transfer, management structure, funding, contract negotiation, intellectual property rights, and evaluation as part of a statewide system of research/development centers. An economic impact study is…

Effects of Ohio's mandatory seat belt law on seat belt use, number of car accidents, and number of fatal and severe injuries were evaluated for January 1982 through March 1988. The monthly average number of accident victims was 2,002. Implications for public policy formulation and implementation are discussed. (SLD)

We review a plan that attracted the attention of public sector planners everywhere, Oregon's 1989 "Oregon Shines: An Economic Strategy for the Pacific Century". In particular, we focus on Oregon's aspirations for world-class workforce quality; a status that the state's planners argued would contribute to a host of other outcomes that…

The "ERIC Review" is published three times a year and announces research results, publications, and new programs relevant to each issue's theme topic. This issue explores computer networking in elementary and secondary schools via two principal articles: "Plugging into the 'Net'" (Michael B. Eisenberg and Donald P. Ely); and…

Community-based programs in the juvenile justice system present a promising alternative to the disappointing results achieved by large institutional facilities. A diverse group of states has found that intensive, individualized services provided in small, family-like residential settings or in the juvenile's own home yield comparable or reduced…

In 1994 the Ohio State Legislature established Venture Capital to support school restructuring. The Venture Capital school initiative is a concept borrowed from the business community in which the corporate entity provides risk capital to parts of the organization to stimulate creative ideas and to provide opportunities for local entities to try…

This report examines the need for alternative education programs in Virginia, submits a plan and an estimate for funding, and reports findings and recommendations. The project team developed an implementation plan that identified five major objectives: (1) provide budget recommendations and estimates for Alternative Education at the state and…

This report presents highlights of a seminar which focused on solutions emerging at the local and state level to keeping troubled families together. Comments by these panelists are summarized: Elizabeth Cole, a consultant to many family preservation projects; Kristine Nelson, a researcher on the social work faculty of the University of Iowa; Bill…

This guide explains, in simple language, the procedures for utilization of Colorado's developmental disabilities system. It begins with a definition of developmental disability and then explains how to contact a Community Centered Board to determine eligibility for services. The guide outlines the processes of applying for services, receiving…

This study compiled descriptive information about what states are doing or planning to do with early intervention data systems, a component of early intervention systems as specified in Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The study examined the uses of data systems in eight states: Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,…